Midget and Mr Stranger
by dandelion weed
Summary: (Or That One Time Kuroko Won't Take Anyone's Bullshit Because It's The Last Copy In The Store Dammit I Don't Care That You're Hot Get Your Hands Off My Book.) Hanamiya and Kuroko go way back. T for profanities.


Teiko basketball club upheld a few rules for two years:

1\. Do not test Kuroko Tetsuya's temper.

2\. Do not help those poor souls that earned Kuroko Tetsuya's ire.

3\. Do not let Kuroko Tetsuya know these rules.

It was basics that the seniors religiously drill into newcomers' head if they want to survive the club. But of course, there are always outsiders who are not privy of these rules and therefore, make the mistake. Newcomers were always skeptical of these rules and the number four rule that was added recently confused them even more.

The number four rule was: _DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, UTTER HANAMIYA MAKOTO'S NAME IN KUROKO TETSUYA'S PRESENCE_.

When asked about this fourth rule, seniors shivered and some even openly wiped away tears of horror before starting the story.

* * *

It was another day of another match with another school that would without doubt be trampled under the might of Generation of Miracles. However, a member of the opposition team had been rumored to be a possible challenge for the almighty Teiko starters and everyone paid close attention to the dark haired boy with weird eyebrows.

Kuroko Tetsuya was not an exception and everyone watched as the usually reserved player walked right up to the Uncrowned King and started a conversation with a smile.

"How is your sister?"

It seemed like the entire court had stopped breathing at that exact moment. The Teiko side because it was the first time their sixth man in talking term with someone else in the opposition team, and the other side because _when the fuck did Hanamiya get a sister_?

Hanamiya adopted a confused look and asked with a rather condescending sneer, "I don't have a sister. Who are you?"

Kuroko went rigid and the blankness of his eyes melted into confusion, then a frown, until finally, a _scowl_.

"I see," Kuroko said with a haughty nod and he sauntered off with his head held high. "So that's how it is."

Ten minutes later, everyone in the stadium were gaping at the score board. Not a single score for Teiko's opponent and they were leading with a thirty solid score. As the game went on, Hanamiya grew more and more miserable and when the final buzz rang, the stadium was silent.

"Ouch," Kise said with an unsympathetic wince. He looked gleeful, even. "What did that guy do to Kurokocchii?"

Hanamiya glared at Kuroko. "I remember you now!" he said, loudly. "You're that guy from yesterday!"

"I'm glad to know your brain is not as small as it seems to be earlier," Kuroko said with a blank face.

Aomine snickered.

Hanamiya looked incredulous. "Are you actually pissed about it?"

The glare Kuroko sent Hanamiya's way could have melted a furnace. "I don't appreciate being lied to."

"It's just a book!" Hanamiya sputtered.

"It was the last one," Kuroko countered.

* * *

And that, young grasshoppers, was why Kuroko Tetsuya's temper was legendary. You do not tempt fate when Kuroko Tetsuya was involved.

* * *

Of course, if only that was the last Kuroko saw of his somewhat-arch-nemesis.

* * *

Kagami was not sure, but he was pretty sure Kuroko was glaring at the captain of Kirisaki Dai Ichi.

"Captain," he called out to Hyuuga who was stretching alongside Kiyoshi. "Do you know what that's about?" he pointed to Kuroko, who's probably trying to look intimidating as he slowly dribbled the ball while sending daggers to the other side.

Hyuuga and Kiyoshi looked up. Hyuuga looked thoughtful before he answered, "I'm not sure, but I heard Hanamiya once faced off the Generation of Miracles and his team went home with a 112-0 defeat."

Kagami could not make any connection between the story and Kuroko's apparent hatred to the captain of Kirisaki Dai Ichi.

When they lined up, Kagami warily watched Kuroko and Hanamiya stood opposite of each other. Hanamiya looked down and his face contorted into a grimace. "Oh, it's you."

"Yes, it's me," Kuroko replied evenly. "Are you prepared to be thoroughly defeated again?"

"Don't look down on me, you fucking brat," Hanamiya spat. "I'm going to show you your place this time."

"Just give it back to me and we'll call it even. I'll even pay, if you haven't destroyed it."

"Make me," Hanamiya challenged.

Kuroko's eyelids narrowed, "With pleasure."

And so, the weirdest and most intense game Kagami had ever played started. Kuroko stayed true to his words and put extra effort into his play. When Hanamiya's team started attacking Seirin bodily, however, Kagami swore he heard something in Kuroko fucking_ snapped_. His face was bordering animalistic and the usually fierce player inched away from his partner. He'd rather be a coward than a suicidal.

At the end of it, Hanamiya was glaring murderously at Kuroko.

"Stop being so fucking petty!" he shouted at the smaller player.

Kuroko glared _up_ and Kagami saw Aomine buried his face into his palms. Momoi was scowling furiously, at Hanamiya.

"If you weren't such a prick, we wouldn't be here, like this!" said Kuroko.

Hanamiya made a sound between a howling walrus and a whimpering dog. "You're a brat! A brat, you hear me! Who hold a grudge over a book for two years?!"

"It was the last one in the store, I told you!"

Kagami would have scampered away and pretend he did not know the stranger that used to be his best friend, if he could. Sadly, he wore the same stinking uniform as Kuroko.

"Stop being a child!"

"Who was the one lied to a stranger saying he has a dying sister who wanted the book so much?! Oh yes, _you_!"

"Get over it!"

"No! Give me my book back!"

"Did it have your name stamped on it? Oh right, _it didn't_! And I paid for it!"

"I'll pay you back! Double!"

"That piece of literature is not for sale!"

"Please." Oh no, Kuroko had resorted into the pleading tactic. "You have had it for two years. Just let me have it. I've been searching for a copy since you shamelessly robbed me and I still couldn't find one."

Hanamiya threw his hands up and walked away.

Kuroko was glaring daggers at his back. Kagami occasionally heard profanities from his muttering and he dutifully deleted it from his memory. His best friend was not this stranger, so it was irrelevant for his sanity.

A few days later, _Kagami_ glared up at the sky and wondered if God was even doing His job properly since Hanamiya was standing in front of their fucking gate and Kuroko was hissing like a cat behind him.

When they reached Hanamiya, he wordlessly fished out a book from his bag and held it out to Kuroko, who blinked before sparkles entered his fucking eyes and Kagami swore he must be lacking sleep lately since that was not possible.

"It's in good condition," Hanamiya offered. "You don't have to pay me." And he just walked away.

Kuroko stared at his retreating back and went through the pages with lightning speed, leaving Kagami to wonder if he could even catch anything. Kuroko nodded, as if satisfied, before he went rigid and Kagami thought _what the hell_ and threw away his sense of preservation to lean over to see what has got Kuroko's panties in a twist this time.

His eyebrows disappeared into his hairline.

_Just a date: xxxx-xxx-612_

It was plainly written at the back. Kagami chanced a look at his best friend but it was frighteningly blank.

"Kuroko?"

The smaller player snapped out of his stupor and blinked up at Kagami. Then, he closed the book with a huff and Kagami thought he really needed to cut off his late night basketball solo practice because that was a fucking smile on his best friend's lips.

* * *

_How it started._

Tetsuya was tired, thirsty and hot. He'd probably went over dozens of stores in three different area, but he still couldn't find a copy of the prequel of the Maze Runner trilogy, The Kill Order. He could have just read it online, but Tetsuya was the kind of reader that hoarded books. The more expensive it gets the better. Leather bound books were rare, but that did not stop him from collecting what he could find.

He looked up at the sign above the entrance of the latest store he found. This was the last one. If he still could not find a copy, well, Tetsuya would probably grovel down to Akashi to help him to order one online. He entered and went into the foreign fiction area.

Tetsuya almost regretted not bringing enough money. His mouth watered at the sight of the neatly lined up latest novels. He'd already bought three, and he probably shouldn't test his luck further. It the price of the book he was searching for could not be covered with what he had left, he would probably regret it for the rest of his life.

Dutifully, his eyes read the titles one by one. There were books that Tetsuya recognized from his own collection, from the library, and…the book he was searching for. Tetsuya heaved a sigh of relief and immediately reached for it.

There was another hand on his book

Tetsuya inwardly let out a noise that sounded like a growling and screeching dinosaur. He looked up and met dark eyes of a taller teenager.

They stood there for a few seconds, eyes locked and hands on the last copy of The Kill Order.

"Excuse me, do you mind?" said the stranger.

Something in Tetsuya was offended at the impolite opening tone. "I'm sorry, but that's your hand in my book. I've been searching for it for five hours and if you don't let go of it now, I will not be held responsible for the injuries I might inflict on your person so _hands off_."

Tetsuya was at his wit's end here. He will not let some stranger get his hands on his book. Even if that stranger was getting hotter the longer Tetsuya looked at him and _whoa, what_? Hold up, brain. Mr. Stranger was currently threatening Tetsuya's well-being. That's the important thing here.

"Piss off, midget," said Mr. Stranger. Charming.

"Please, I know this is hard for you but I need this book." Tetsuya was not ashamed to beg, if he had to. Once he was safely tucked into his blanket with hot chocolate and marshmallow and The Kill Order in his hands, all will be forgotten.

Mr. Stranger sized him up and down. A condescending smirk appeared on his face. "I'm bigger and stronger than you. I can just take this and there's nothing you can do about it."

For a few vulnerable moments, Tetsuya panicked. True, Mr. Stranger was more muscular than he was. So unless Tetsuya wanted to make a scene, he would lose this battle.

Well, Tetsuya thought, nobody said he had to play fair.

It was a trick he made up on the spot. He looked at something behind Mr. Stranger and purposely widened his eyes and let his mouth fell open. Mr. Stranger fell for it. He looked behind him and Tetsuya snatched the book away and hurried to the counter. He heard Mr. Stranger cursed in surprise before chasing after Tetsuya.

"I'll take this, please!" Tetsuya said to the cashier. The girl stared wide-eyed at Tetsuya before turning to Mr. Stranger who had reached him and was glaring at Tetsuya.

"No," said Mr. Stranger to the girl. "I'll take it."

Tetsuya made a frustrated sound before turning to the taller boy. "Just get another one later! I need this."

Mr. Stranger snarled at him.

Tetsuya glared at him.

Tetsuya did not know how long they stood like that until Mr. Stranger cursed and ran a hand through his long-ish hair. "Look," he said, "I need this for my little sister. She's in the hospital with leukemia. And she doesn't have that much time left. She really likes this series. So, please."

Oh, Tetsuya faintly thought. _Oh_.

Now he felt like an asshole. He looked at the book, biting his lips. It was probably the last available copy in Japan. But, there's a little girl in the hospital, sick and suffering, waiting for her big brother to deliver it to her.

With heavy heart, Tetsuya nodded and stepped away. Mr. Stranger released a sigh of relief and took over Tetsuya's former place. As the book disappeared into the tan plastic bag, Tetsuya held back a sob.

"Thank you," said Mr. Stranger. He was suspiciously close to Tetsuya. "You don't know how much this means to me. And my sister. I'll repay you, someday."

Tetsuya finally smiled and shook his head. "No, that's fine. Now go to your sister. She's probably waiting for you."

Mr. Stranger gave him one last smirk before stepping out and blending in with the crowd. Tetsuya closed his eyes and sighed. That was it. Five hours wasted on nothing. He opened his eyes when he heard the cashier girl giggled.

"What is it?" he asked.

The girl smiled brightly at him. "You two are so cute! It's like a real-life yaoi moment! I bet you will meet again."

Tetsuya went home with his face brightly blushing.

The next morning, the blush finally disappeared. Later that day, it returned with vengeance, for whole different reason.

* * *

End.

**A/N**: Looking up OTP prompts and stumbled upon millions of gems. This one was an idea that popped into my head while I read the prompts.

I haven't been receiving emails from fanfiction and it's worrying me. It's been one week and that's the reason I didn't update Twinkle Twinkle Little Star earlier. It turned me off. Can anyone help with this?

* * *

黒子のバスケ © Fujimaki Tadatoshi

Maze Runner trilogy © James Dashner


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